Gatineau snow sculpture exhibit closed after warm weekend damage

Though a sculpture named after Mother Nature herself is on display at Mosaïvernales, the winter elements have proven to be a cruel mistress in the exhibit’s first week.

The new Gatineau tourism draw is temporarily closed while sculptors reform the enormous snow and ice sculptures that were damaged in the past weekend’s unseasonably warm weather.

Any visitors who took in the perspiring spectacle at Jacques-Cartier Park this past weekend will be let in free of charge for a second viewing if they show their original tickets.

An update on the show’s status will be provided on Thursday, but from this point on, the exhibition will open after sundown rather than in the afternoon.

The show’s summer counterpart, MosaïCanada150, was also hampered by poor weather conditions on its first weekend, opening over last year’s rainy Canada Day weekend. That didn’t dampen the event's long-term performance, however, as roughly 1.3 million people saw the show over its three-and-a-half-month run.